BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    




                   Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
                           Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair

                                           772 (Leno)
          
          Hearing Date:  5/18/2009        Amended: 5/5/2009
          Consultant:  Bob Franzoia       Policy Vote: B,P&ED 6-2
          _________________________________________________________________ 
          ____
          BILL SUMMARY: SB 772 would exempt juvenile products, as defined,  
          from fire retardant requirements and would authorize the Bureau  
          of Home Furnishings and Thermal Insulation (bureau) to modify  
          that exemption if it determines that any juvenile products pose  
          a serious fire hazard.
          _________________________________________________________________ 
          ____
                            Fiscal Impact (in thousands)

           Major Provisions         2009-10     2010-11       2011-12     Fund
           Product exemption      Up to $39  Up to $64   Up to  
          $64*Special**

          Regulation revision    Minor, absorbable one time        
          Special**

          * Costs may be minor, absorbable
          ** Bureau of Home Furnishings and Thermal Insulation Fund
          _________________________________________________________________ 
          ____

          STAFF COMMENTS: 

          The fiscal impact of this bill is difficult to determine because  
          it is unknown how the bureau would determine what constitutes a  
          serious fire hazard.  Would the bureau make this determination  
          based on information developed from ongoing or selective testing  
          or from reports from fire departments, manufacturers, or  
          researchers?  

          If this determination is based on readily available information,  
          costs would be minor and absorbable.  If this determination  
          required a new testing procedure then, based on the costs of  
          ongoing bureau flammability testing, costs could be up to  
          $71,000 in the first year and $64,000 ongoing, as necessary.

          Less than 10 percent of the products tested by the bureau are  










          juvenile products.